Mute
by Horsetamer5
Summary: Au. After the war in Troy, Patroclus must deal with a severe disability.
1. Chapter 1

Ever since the war in Troy, something had changed in Patroclus. He was no longer the eager, exuberant seventeen-year old boy who had the shortest attention

span of any Greek and would throw himself headlong into danger. Now, he never laughed or even talked and devoted himself fully to his training.

Many things had changed since that day on the Trojan beach, when a horrible accident had resulted in Patroclus receiving a grievous wound. An injury that left

much more than a lasting scar, an injury that had left the boy mute.

According to Eudorus, the only Myrmidon who knew anything about healing; the blade had torn one of the boy's vocal chords on impact. Patroclus was lucky to be

mute and not dead.

Achilles knew that he had the Trojan prince, Hector to thank for his cousin's life. According to Eudorus, after realising what he had done, Hector quickly cleaned

and haphazardly stitched the wound closed. Had he not done this, Patroclus would have either drowned in his own blood or suffocated. After this had been done,

he stayed with the boy, keeping him calm and breathing until Achilles arrived.


	2. Chapter 2

Now that they were back in Phtia, both men were attempting to adjust back into normal life. Those first few weeks were torture for them both. Patroclus was rarely able to sleep

and when he did, he had nightmares.

This combined with his new disability caused Patroclus to have unpredictable and often dangerous outbursts of anger. Many of which would end with him taking off to some hidden

place and not coming back until long after dark. He would lash out at anyone and anything around him. Patroclus had given Achilles a pretty impressive gash on his arm in one of fits.

Odysseus himself had witnessed one the struggles when he had come to Phtia on his way home from Troy. When he entered the house, everything seemed normal he and Achilles

had talked about the war in Troy and the successful peace that had been negotiated. Patroclus sat in the corner, reading. Everything was peaceful, until Achilles began to talk about

the trouble that Patroclus was having learning sign language.

The boy jumped up, his eyes darkened with fury, swinging out with his hand, he knocked over the shield and spears that were stored in the corner.

Achilles stood up, warning Odysseus to stay back, and calmly approached his cousin.

"Patroclus," he said sternly, "calm down, you won't get anywhere behaving like this.I understand that you are angry and frustrated, but you need to stop this."

Both warriors stood tensely, until, without a word, Patroclus took off and sprinted out of the house.

Achilles sat back down and sighed. "I don't know how much longer I can deal with this," he said.

"What if I tried to talk to him?" suggested Odysseus, "Sometimes teenagers listen to someone who is not their guardian."  
So, with Achilles' agreement, Odysseus set off to find his friend's wayward charge


	3. Chapter 3

He found Patroclus sitting at the edge of one of the sea cliffs, drawing shapes in the dirt with a stick. Walking over, Odysseus knelt down and placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Patroclus," he said gently, "I understand your frustration, I can't imagine how hard it is to learn how to communicate without your voice. I just want you to think about how hard it is for Achilles, too. How hard it is for him to watch you struggle to relearn these tasks. It hurts him too."

Gently squeezing the boy's shoulder Odysseus turned and walked back down to the waiting ships.

_It was late and the house was quiet when Patroclus returned. Not wanting to disturb his cousin, Patroclus walked to his room and lay down Within minutes, he was asleep._

_He felt the cold blade bite through the skin of his throat. The blow had knocked him to the ground and he lay there, feeling the hot, sticky blood run down his neck. When he _

_couldn't get his breath back, he began to panic and thrash against the grip holding him down. He heard a voice telling him to lay still, that they were going to help him. He heard _

_the man give an order and felt the strength of the grip increase. Then, he felt it, the makeshift needle pierced his skin, he arched his back and tried to escape. He felt a hand on his _

_forehead, telling him to calm down and that it would all be over soon. It was then that he heard a voice, he heard Achilles. _

_"Cousin," said Achilles, "You need to wake up. It's just a dream."_

Achilles stood over Patroclus, trying to shake the boy out of his nightmare. Suddenly, the boy's eyes flew open and he threw himself against Achilles.

Achilles gently wrapped his arms around his young cousin, trying to soothe the boy's wracking sobs.

"It's alright, Patroclus," he said, "it's over, you're home, you're safe, no one is going to hurt you." reaching over with his free hand, Achilles lit the lamp on the bedside table. Now, he was able to see just how upset his cousin was. Patroclus' whole body was shaking with silent sobs and Achilles could feel the boy's rapid heartbeat and breathing against his own chest.

As he held the boy in his arms, Achilles couldn't help but think back to the moment that he had seen Patroclus laying in Hector's arms.  
_Hector, the proud prince of Troy, leader of one of the finest armies in world, was sitting in the sand, holding Patroclus in his arms._  
_Every few seconds, Patroclus would cry out and try and grab at his throat, trying to tear the stitches out. Every time, Hector would gently push the boy's hands away and murmur to him. It was in that moment that, for the first time, Achilles forgave someone._


	4. Chapter 4

Patroclus sat in the corner of his room, his legs drawn up to his chest. After that night, things had been going pretty well. Patroclus began picking up on Sign Language and he was now able to communicate with Achilles.

Things were slowly returning to normal. However, today Achilles was meeting with Agamemnon for the first time since the war; something that Patroclus was not happy about. Patroclus didn't like Agamemnon, the king had always made Patroclus feel uncomfortable, talking to him as if he were an ignorant child. At least back then he had a chance to defend himself.

Now, without his voice, Patroclus would just have to suffer silence and pray that Agamemnon could not understand Sign Language.

Patroclus was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear his cousin enter the room.

"What are you doing?" Achilles asked, amused.

_"What does it look like?"_ Patroclus signed clearly in a bad mood, _"I'm hiding, though apparently it's not working."_

"Look," said Achilles, kneeling in front of the boy, "I don't like Agamemnon either, but we can't afford an enemy like him. Part of being a warrior is dealing with things and people that you may not necessarily like. It's only for one day, so we just need to deal with it. Can you do that for me?"

_"I guess," signed Patroclus, "for you."_

The two Myrmidon warriors walked down the hillside toward the port. Patroclus scowled as he eyed Agamemnon's ship in the distance.

He had a lot of things that he wanted to say to the Greek King. As if sensing his cousin's anger, Achilles leaned over and whispered in the boy's ear, "Be nice, Patroclus."

Patroclus looked up at his cousin and smirked, _"that wasn't part of our agreement,"_ he signed.**  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: special thanks to my friend and fellow writer Spiritblaze for giving me some amazing suggestions  
**

Patroclus took a deep breath and gripped tighter to his cousin's hand as they approached the dock. He could see Agamemnon standing on the sand, waiting for them. Achilles leaned over and kissed the top of his cousin's head.

"It's going to be alright Patroclus, I will be with you the whole time. Don't worry."

"Achilles," said Agamemnon, "it's nice to see you again after you_ abandoned_ us on the shores of Troy."

"You seemed to do just fine without me." Achilles said cooly. "Although as I heard it, Odysseus was the one who eventually negotiated the peace. After you and your men had left."

"Oh, look," said Agamemnon, noticing Patroclus for the first time. "The brat still lives, last time I saw him, he was laying on a mat bleeding to death. All because he was too stupid to run away from a fight. "

Patroclus stared, silently, daring the king to continue.

"Well, aren't you going to answer me, boy?"

"Sir," said one of Agamemnon's men, "I don't think he _can_ talk."

"I was right," said Agamemnon, "you are useless, we should have just let you die. It would have saved everyone the trouble."

That was the last straw for Patroclus, snarling he ran forward, ready to attack. He would have succeeded if Achilles had not grabbed him and restrained him.

"Patroclus," he whispered, "calm down, I know that you are angry but remember, its just for today."

"You really should keep him under better control, Achilles," said Agamemnon.

Ignoring the king, Achilles turned to his cousin, "Patroclus," he said "I think that Eudorus needs some help resharpening and replacing the spear heads. Why don't you see if he can give you something to do."

Eager to escape the current situation, Patroclus nodded enthusiatically and ran off the follow through with his cousin's "request".

After the boy was out of earshot, Achilles rounded on Agamemnon.

"That seventeen year old boy is more of a warrior than you will ever be. If anyone should have died on those shores, it should have been you."

"You forget _soldier_, your land is under my rule." Agamemnon warned.

Achilles continued, as if he had not heard the king. "You may have control over most of Greece, but just remember _King Of Kings_ you are in Lion territory now; And Lions _ALWAYS_ protect their young."

The rest of the meeting passed relatively well. However, it left Achilles exhausted and he was just glad it was over. Walking into the house, he found his young cousin laying on the floor, reading.

Kneeling down, he placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Did Eudorus find something for you to do?" he asked.

Patroclus nodded slowly.

"Are you upset about this morning?" Achilles continued, "Its alright if you are."

Patroclus closed his book and turned to his cousin, his eyes filled with tears.

_"I'm sorry,"_ he signed.

"For what?" asked Achilles.

"_I'm sorry for being weak and a burden. I should have died."_

Achilles drew the boy into a fierce embrace, letting his own tears fall now as Patroclus cried into his chest.

"Never," Achilles said, "you have never been and never will be a burden, Patroclus. I don't know what I would have done if you had died."  
As he held the boy, Achilles couldn't help but think back to the first days after the accident.

_Patroclus screamed as Eudorus removed the bloodstained bandages from his neck and the raw flesh was exposed to open air. Achilles reached over and gently stroked his cousin's hair, knowing he could say nothing to ease the pain. _

_The wound was healing, but it was a slow, painful process. Every day, they would re-bandage the wound. Every day, Patroclus would scream and thrash wildly, trying to escape the pain. That day however, Odysseus had come to meet with Achilles and had seen the entire ordeal. Afterwards, he approached Achilles while Patroclus was resting. _

_"Go," he said reaching down and placing a hand on Achilles' shoulder, "we will continue the fight here. This is no place for Patroclus to recover. I will send word if we need you again."_

_That night, the Myrmidons had begun their voyage home."_**  
**


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note:** Again,** **special thanks to my friend and fellow writer Spiritblaze for giving me some amazing suggestions and helping me get through my writers' block.**

It had been a week since the meeting with Agamemnon. Since then, Patroclus had regressed significantly, becoming angry and withdrawn. He had begun to physically lash out at other people again. Now, the attacks were becoming more violent and harder to stop.

Achilles knew that Agamemnon's words still haunted his cousin. Even before then, Patroclus had always perceived himself as a burden. Now, hearing someone say it to his face, had added fuel to the fire and caused the whole situation to spiral out of control.

Today however, Patroclus seemed to be in a relatively good mood. Although, Achilles knew from experience that the boy's mood could change any second. As if to prove his theory, Patroclus' whole body tensed as if preparing for a fight. Suddenly, he swung his hand out, knocking everything off the table. He stood up and began to sign frantically.

_"Why do you keep me here? I'm worthless, Agamemnon was right, I should have just died."_

"Nobody believes that, Patroclus," Achilles said desperately. "Everyone here, especially me, cares about you, I just wish you could see that."

_"No! You're lying!"_ Patroclus signed, tears streaming down his face_. "I should just run away, it would save you all the trouble."_

"Oh, no you don't!" Achilles growled, grabbing the boy and pinning him against his side. "You are going to stay here and we are going to talk this out."

With surprising speed and strength, Patroclus escaped and pushed his cousin so much as a backward glance, he sprinted out of the house and out across the field.

Achilles shivered and pulled his cloak tighter around his body. Patroclus had not been seen all day and the temperature outside was dropping to nearly freezing. So, as the sun set over the horizon, Achilles had gathered a handful of men and they had headed out to search for the wayward boy.

Knowing that Patroclus usually went out and hid in the small caves on top of the sea cliffs, Achilles had decided to search there first. As he reached the crest of the hill, Achilles spotted a figure sitting on the edge of the cliff. As he got closer, he saw that it was Patroclus.

The boy had his face pressed against his knees and his shoulders were shaking with silent sobs. occasionally, he would rock his body in some feeble attempt to comfort himself. All of the anger and frustration immediately draining out of his body, Achilles drew his cousin into a protective embrace.

"Oh, Patroclus," he sighed, sadly, gently kissing the top of his cousin's head. "Why did you stay out so long? I was so worried. I know you don't see it, but I love you more than you can imagine. You make me so proud, I just wish you could see that."

They sat there, listening to the crash of the waves against the rocks. After what seemed like hours, Patroclus' sobs died down into shuddering breaths.

Deciding that it was too cold to stay out any longer; Achilles gently lifted Patroclus into his arms, marveling at how little the boy weighed. Turning, he headed back down to the others, his cousin safely in his arms again.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: Again, special thanks to my friend and fellow writer Spiritblaze for being SO supportive of this story.

Achilles sat by his cousin's bedside and gently stroked his hair. After staying out for most of the night, combined with the fact that he wasn't sleeping well, the boy had now contracted a fever. Occasionally, Patroclus would screw his eyes shut and let out small, tortured whimpers, his mind tortured by fever-fueled dreams.

Achilles was startled out of his thoughts when Patroclus let out a terrified scream and began to thrash and claw at his throat. Small, crescent-shaped cuts appeared on his throat, and blood began to stain his fingers.

Without thinking, (or caring) about his own safety, Achilles grabbed the boy and trapped his arms against his chest. Knowing that it would be futile to try to wake Patroclus, all that Achilles could do was hold the child until the storm passed. After a while, the boy's struggles died down and he settled into a peaceful sleep, laying his head against the older warrior's chest.

Patroclus walked aimlessly along the small path, letting his mind wander and feeling the warm sun on his face. Achilles was in a meeting and Patroclus had gotten bored of listening to the politics.

Also, three days of being sick had caused him to go a little stir crazy. Suddenly, a loud scream, like that of a wounded animal jarred him back into reality. Hearing the noise again, Patroclus sprinted up the path. The noise led him to the pasture near the stables.

It was then that he saw it, a sleek black stallion with eyes like rubies was standing in the corner of the pasture. Every time one of the warriors would try to go near it, the horse would rear up and let out a horrible scream.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Patroclus approached the fence and watched.

He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up, he saw Eudorus looking down at him, smiling.

"Magnificent isn't he," Eudorus said, "it's too bad that no one can get near him, he'd make a great war steed."

_"What's his name?"_ signed Patroclus.

"Arsen," said Eudorus, "Atheros bought him from a farmer in Mycenae. The poor animal had been abused so badly that he could barely stand. See that scar on his side?"

Patroclus nodded.

"The man slashed him with a sword a few days before, it was infected when he got here." Eudorus continued, "We managed to treat all the physical wounds just not the mental ones."

Patroclus stared sadly at the poor animal. Then suddenly, he slipped under the fence and began to walk towards the terrified steed. The animal snorted and flared its nostrils, backing farther and farther into the corner.

Stopping a few feet away, Patroclus held out his hand and stood stock still. After a few moments, Arsen took a few hesitant steps toward the boy. Reaching out, Patroclus gently stroked the horse's muzzle, silently saying, _"It's alright, you're safe now, no harm will come to you, I promise."_


	8. Chapter 8

Author's note: Again, special thanks to my friend and fellow writer Spiritblaze for being SO supportive of this story.

Patroclus lay in his bed, listening to Achilles sharpen his sword. For some reason, the sound always seemed to calm him down. It was safe. It was home.

"I heard that you made a new friend today," Achilles said suddenly.

Patroclus nodded silently.

"Eudorus told me that you were the only one who could approach the new horse. That's very impressive."

Patroclus looked over and gave his cousin a timid smile.

"I'll tell you what," Achilles said, "If you want to train him, he's yours."

Patroclus looked up, his eyes brightening; _"do you really mean that?"_ he signed.

"Of course," said Achilles. "I have plenty of other steeds and you seem to have a strong bond with this one."

Getting up from his bed, Patroclus threw himself into his cousin's arms.

_"I love you,_" Patroclus signed.

"I love you too, cub" Achilles whispered, "so very much."

Realising that the boy probably wasn't going to let him go anytime soon, Achilles let out a quiet chuckle and stood up, still holding his cousin in his arms.

"Alright, cub," he said "it's getting late and it's time you got to bed."

Patroclus shook his head frantically as Achilles moved to lay him down.

"What is it, Patroclus?" the older warrior asked gently.

_"No more nightmares."_ Patroclus signed, tears pooling in his eyes.

Understanding immediately, Achilles lay down beside the boy.

"No more nightmares."


	9. Chapter 9

The next week passed without any major incident. Patroclus spent more time working with his new pet and he seemed much happier. Achilles stood in the doorway, watching his little cousin sleep.

Sadly, he knew that the news he had would have a profound negative affect on the boy's good mood.  
Knowing that it was now or never, Achilles approached his charge and placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Cub," he said, "I need to talk to you, can you wake up for me?"

The boy turned and stared sleepily at his cousin.  
_"Don't wanna," _he signed  
"I know, cub," Achilles sighed. "It'll just be for a minute."

Achilles sat down on the bed and Patroclus moved so that his head was resting on his cousin's lap.

"Do you remember when I told you that a peace had been negotiated between the Greeks and the Trojans?" Achilles asked, stroking his cousin's hair.

Patroclus nodded.

"Well," Achilles continued, "Prince Hector has asked to meet with me. I think it would help you to see the man who saved your life."

_"When is he coming?" _Patroclus signed, after a pause.

"At the end of the week," Achilles responded.

Patroclus stared up at his cousin with a look of hurt and betrayal, tears pooling in his eyes.  
_"How could you?"_ He signed, tears streaming down his face._ "Why do you want to remind me of what a failure I am?!"_

Achilles roughly grabbed his cousin's hands, stopping his frantic signing.

"Listen to me!" He hissed fiercely, "you are not a failure, you are human. Humans make mistakes!"

Patroclus jerked back, trying to free his hands from his cousin's iron grip. When he could succeed, he began to cry harder and struggle. Realising that Patroclus' fit would only get worse, Achilles let go of the boys hands and lifted him into his arms.

"Shh, Cub," he whispered gently, his own voice breaking. "That's it, just calm down. It's alright. That's a good boy, just take deep breaths."

Patroclus' cries turned into harsh, wracking sobs.

Sighing, Achilles lay down on the bed and lay his cousin's head against his chest. He was prepared to wait out this storm, however long it took


	10. Chapter 10

The next week passed without any major incident. Patroclus spent more time working with his new pet and he seemed much happier. Achilles stood in the doorway, watching his little cousin sleep. Sadly, he knew that the news he had would have a profound negative affect on the boy's good mood.

Knowing that it was now or never, Achilles approached his charge and placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Cub," he said, "I need to talk to you, can you wake up for me?"

The boy turned and stared sleepily at his cousin.

"Don't wanna," he signed

"I know, cub," Achilles sighed. "It'll just be for a minute."

Achilles sat down on the bed and Patroclus moved so that his head was resting on his cousin's lap.

"Do you remember when I told you that a peace had been negotiated between the Greeks and the Trojans?" Achilles asked, stroking his cousin's hair.

Patroclus nodded.

"Well," Achilles continued, "Prince Hector has asked to meet with me. I think it would help you to see the man who saved your life."

"When is he coming?" Patroclus signed, after a pause.

"At the end of the week," Achilles responded.

Patroclus stared up at his cousin with a look of hurt and betrayal, tears pooling in his eyes.

"How could you?" He signed, tears streaming down his face. "Why do you want to remind me of what a failure I am?!"

Achilles roughly grabbed his cousin's hands, stopping his frantic signing.

"Listen to me!" He hissed fiercely, "you are not a failure, you are human. Humans make mistakes!"

Patroclus jerked back, trying to free his hands from his cousin's iron grip. When he could succeed, he began to cry harder and struggle. Realising that Patroclus' fit would only get worse, Achilles let go of the boys hands and lifted him into his arms.

"Shh, Cub," he whispered gently, his own voice breaking. "That's it, just calm down. It's alright. That's a good boy, just take deep breaths."

Patroclus' cries turned into harsh, wracking sobs.

Sighing, Achilles lay down on the bed and lay his cousin's head against his chest. He was prepared to wait out this storm, however long it took.

Patroclus stood behind his cousin, fidgeting nervously as he watched the two warriors talk. He was hoping that if he stayed quiet enough, the Trojan Prince wouldn't notice him. Deep down, he knew that wasn't going to be the case.

After a few minutes, Hector turned and looked at the boy.

"You must be Patroclus," he said gently "you look much better than the last time I saw you. My name is Hector, I helped you when you were injured in Troy. Do you remember?"

Patroclus nodded, his hand unconciously drifting up to the small scar on his neck. Sensing the younger man's discomfort, Hector quickly changed the subject.

"Your cousin tells me that you are a great fighter." Hector said.

Patroclus looked up and smiled timidly.

"Do you like training?" the Trojan Prince asked.

Patroclus nodded enthusiatically. He was beginning to like this man. He was one of the few royalty that talked to Patroclus as if he were an adult.

As they walked up towards the house, Hector engaged the younger Myrmidon in a conversation about different types of weapons and fighting styles.

Patroclus lay on the floor of the house listening to the two older men talk. For a while, he had been able to entertain himself by listening to the conversation and reading. However, it was now the early afternoon and he was getting very bored.

Getting up, he walked over and stood by his cousin.

Sensing his cousins' presence, Achilles paused

"Are you alright, cub?" He asked gently.

"Can I go train outside?" Patroclus signed

"Of course," said Achilles, "just don't stay out after dark."

"That boy," Achilles laughed as he watched his cousin run off to train. "Honestly, I didn't expect him to stay still as long as he did. He's always moving and can't stay in one place for more than an hour."

"I know the feeling," said Hector.

Patroclus smiled as he mounted his new steed. After months of work, he was finally able to get on Arsen's back for the first time. For the next hour, he walked the steed around the pasture. He was so engrossed in what he was doing, that he almost fell of the horse when he heard a voice call out to him. Turning, he saw Prince Hector leaning against one of the rails of the fence.

"I thought you were supposed to be training," Hector said, amused.

Patroclus dismounted his horse and shrugged, sheepishly.

"It's alright," said the prince, "I did a lot of the same thing when I was your age."

Patroclus looked over at the older warrior and smiled, he really did like this man.

"Alright," said Hector, when the younger man was finished with his task. "Your cousin sent me to find you, and I think he would prefer if I returned with you at my side."

Turning, both men began their trek back to the house.


End file.
